Aeroplane



FIP8301 0. A. KALBFUS.

AEROPLANE.

APPLICATION HLED SEPT. 6. 1919.

Patented May 25, 1920.

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244. AERONAUTICS 0. A. KALBFUS.

AEROPLANE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. a 1919.

Patented May 25,1920.

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a. r wfw 244. AEHONAU l IUS U. A. KALBFUS.

AEROPLANE.

APPLICATION FiLED SEPT. 6, 191']. 1,340,960. Patented May 25, 1920.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

U. A. KALBFUS.

AEROPLANE. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 6, I9I.9.

Patented May 25, 1920.

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244. AERONAUTICS 0. A. KALBFUS.

AEROPLANE. APPLICAHON man SEPT. e. 1919.

Patented May 25, 1920.

Z44. AtHUNAUIIUS UNITED STATES OLIVER A. KALBFUS, 0F BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

AEROPLANE.

Application filed September 6, 1919.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OLIVER A. KALBrUs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Aeroplanes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in aeroplanes and has particular reference to an aeroplane structure wherein a plurality of planes are arranged in a horizontal direction, or, in a direction fore and aft with res wet to the fuselage or car.

ne object of the invention is to provide a multiplane aeroplane with the planes arranged in a novel manner with respect to each other.

Another object is to provide an improved construction of aeroplane wherein a series of planes may be supported one in front of another and so connected as to be simultaneously rocked so that their front edges may be raised or lowered in unison.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a novel arrangement of planes in spaced relation, and one in front of another, and to interpose between the rear edges of one plane and the forward edge the next plane a series of propelling means.

Another object is to provide an improved construction and arrangement of frame whereby to pivotally sustain a series of planes one in front of another and to suspend a car or fuselage from the frame and below the several series of planes.

Another object is to provide a novel arrangement of upper and lower, or biplanes, one set in front of another with connections between all the upper and all the lower planes of the several sets whereby to tilt them simultaneously.

Another object is to provide improved means for supporting the ends of the planes against upward pressure, and

A further object is to provide an aeroplane having a series of main supporting surfaces arranged in diflerent vertical planes, one in front of another, with a fuselage or car pendently sustained below the series of supporting surfaces and to provide improved means for effecting a tilting of said surfaces.

Vith these and other objects in view the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 25, 1920.

Serial No. 322,114.

invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein,

Figure 1. shows the improved machine in side elevation.

Fig. 4. illustrates the plane operating devices in top plan.

Fig. 5. shows a top or plan view of the fuselage or car.

Fig. 6. illustrates the machine in front elevation.

Fig. 7. shows a detail of the sprocket drive on the main frame.

Fig. 8. illustrates one of the rectangular frames used in sustaining the plane-surfaces.

Fig. 9. shows a front view of a portion of one of the plane frames, and

Fig. 10. illustrates a detail of the yielding connections for supporting the sides of the main frame against upward pressure on the planes.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, 10, designates a main frame comprising side bars; end bars, and intermediate stay or crossbars, which, in the present instance are so arranged as to form a preferably rectangular frame.

The end bars 11, and in the present instance the cross-bars 12, are each provided with a series of shaft-bearings 13, so that a series of horizontal shafts 14, may be su tained in a position at right angles to the two end bars 11. These propeller-shafts 14 are shown in the present instance in the same horizontal plane but in different vertical planes, as clearly seen in Fig. 2, of the drawings.

A central rod 15, connects and extends horizontally between the end bars 11, and forms a central support for the cross-bars 12, so that the side and end bars of the frame 10, will all be rigidly connected and form a rigid support for all the propeller shafts and also for a series of planes or main supporting surfaces which latter will presently be described.

The central rod 15, sustains a short tubular shaft 16, on which there are a plurality of sprockets 17 and 18 or equivalent driving elements. These driving elements are all fast to the tubular shaft 16, so that they will revolve in unison. The sprocket, 17 in this instance is to be driven to effect a revolution of the shaft 16, and the other sprockets 18.

A sprocket 19, is mounted on each of the propeller shafts 14, at opposite sides of the rod 15, so that chains 20, may connect the sprockets 18 and 19, and thereby drive the two shafts next adjacent to the central rod. Through the medium of sprockets 21 and 22 and chains 63, the two outermost propeller shafts 14, are also revolved.

It will thus be seen that all the propeller shafts 14, are driven from the sprockets 17 and 18.

Each cross-bar 12, of the rectangular frame 10, and the front end-bar 11, of said frame, is utilized as a support on which to mount the planes.

The planes are formed of a series of rectangular frames 23, each having a central hub or tubular bearing 24, and tie rods 25, which connect the hub with the corner unions 26 of the frames, as best illustrated in Figs. 1-8 and 9 of the drawing.

In this instance the corner unions 26, of each rectangular frame have side sockets 27, so that horizontal rods 28 may connect one frame with the other.

These frames 23, are freely mounted on the bars 11 and 12, at spaced intervals between the longitudinal side bars of the main frame 10 so as to provide a series of supports for the plane surfaces.

In the present instance the supporting planes are arranged in sets, each of which sets comprises an upper plane 29, and a lower plane 30, and both planes of a set being rigid with respect to each other.

From the foregoing explanation, and by reference to Fig. 1 of the drawing it will be understood that one set of planes is mounted on the front cross-bar 11, and two other sets are mounted, one on each of the cross-bars 12, so that in the present illustration there are three sets of planes and each set is mounted so as to be rocked or oscillated and thereby cause the front or rear edges of the planes to be depressed or elevated as desired.

By reference to Figs. 1 and 9 of the drawing, it will be noted that from the bottom side of each lower plane 30, there depend a plurality of rods 31, and that each of these rods is connected to a horizontal rod or bar 32, so that each set of planes is connected to the one rod or bar. If, therefore, the rod or bar 32, is moved longitudinally, the rods 31, will be drawn in the directions of such movement, and all the planes will simultaneously be rocked on the cross-bars and thereby be shifted from a horizontal to an inclined position.

The means for moving the rod on bar 32, longitudinally will presently be explained.

The central horizontal rod, 15, of the main frame 10, pendently sustains a plurality of brackets 33, which together form a cradle for a car or fuselage 34.

This car or fuselage 34, is therefore hung pendently below the series of planes and extends in a direction parallel with the rod 15 and the propeller shafts 14.

In the present instance the car has the form of a boat-shaped hollow body in order that it may float and is also provided with wheels 35, near the front end thereof and with a combined wheel and rudder 36, at the rear end.

The rear wheel 36, is carried in a rudder frame 37, that is pivotally connected to the rear end of the fuselage, and a tiller 33, ex tends over the stern deck of the body and is connected by ropes 39 to a steering drum 40.

In the bow of the body I locate an engine 41, whose shaft 42, extends horizontally and, in this instance said shaft carries a sprocket 43, so that a driving chain 44 may pass around said sprocket 43 and then extend up to and pass around the sprocket 1'7, on the shaft 16, and thereby drive said latter sprocket and revolve the propeller shafts 14.

From the foregoing explanations it will be seen that when the machine is at rest, the brackets 33, will sustain the main frame 10, in an elevated position above the fuselage, but when in flight, the fuselage will be pendently sustained below the said frame.

To limit the rocking movement of the main frame 10, in a direction that would swing one side bar thereof down and the opposite side bar up, I provide a plurality of flexible connections, such as ropes 45, which extend from the side bars of the frame 10, down to and connected with springs 46 on the deck of the fuselage, as shown in Fig. 6, of the drawing, so that only a limited rocking of the frame 10, with respect to the fuselage is permitted.

In the cockpit of the fuselage I arrange suitable supports for a series of guide pulleys 47, 4S and 49 and a winding drum 50, for a purpose that will presently be explained.

I also provide two spaced apart curved guideways 51, between the pulleys 47, and 48 at the one end and the pulley 49 and drum 50, at the other end, as best seen in Figs. 3 and 5 of the drawing. These two guideways 51, sustain a slide or cross-head 52, which latter may be moved lengthwise of the guide way and this cross-head has an eye or equivalent device to which the lower ends of two reversely-inclined rods or wires 53 and 54, are connected.

Z44- AtHUNHUIIbb The upper end of the rod or wire 53, is attached to the forward end of the horizontal plane-operating bar 32, while the upper end of the rod or wire 54, is attached to the rear end of said bar 32. By means of these connections the shifting of the cross head 52, along the guides 51, will cause the bow 32, to be moved horizontally and thereby rock the several sets of planes through the bail connectionsSl.

In order to operate the cross-head 52, along the guideways I provide a rope or other flexible connection 55, which has one end attached to the cross-head 52, and extends forward and .over the pulley 47 then down and under pulley 48; then rearward to pulley 49, and finally up and around the drum 50.

Another rope or flexible connection 56, is attached to the cross-head 52, and extends rearwardly and is wound about the drum 50.

By means of these two connections 55 and 56, and the drum 50, the cross-head 52, may be moved forward or rearward as desired by merely rotating the drum 50, more or less, and such movement of the cross-head will operate the rods 58 and 54 to rock the several planes simultaneously.

The several series of planes are somewhat spaced from each other so that one will have position in front of another or the several series be located in different vertical planes.

The propeller shafts extend in a direction at right angles to the spread of the supporting planes and are located in a horizontal plane between the upper and lower supporting surfaces 29 and 30 of the several series of planes, and between the rear edge of one set of planes and the front edge of the next set of planes I locate the propellers 57, on the shafts 14.

Having described my invention, I claim,-

1. In an aerial craft the combination with a horizontal rectangular frame, of a plurality of supporting surfaces in different vertical planes and all pivotally sustained from said frame; a body pendently sustained from the frame and below said supporting surfaces and means between the body and the supporting surfaces and connected with the latter for tilting the supporting surfaces simultaneously.

2. In an aerial craft the combination with a horizontal rectangular frame, of a plurality of supporting surfaces one in front of another and in different vertical planes and all of said surfaces being pivotally sustained from said frames; a body sustained below the supporting surfaces; a plurality of propellers also in different vertical planes and between the rear edge of one su aporting surface and the front edge of anot er supporting surface and means above the body and beneath the supporting surfaces for simultaneously tilting all of the latter.

3. In an aerial craft the combination with a horizontal rectangular frame, of a plurality of supporting surfaces one in advance of another so as to be located in different vertical planes between the two ends of said horizontal frame; a body pendently sustained below the frame and the supporting surfaces; a propeller sustained from the frame between the rear edges of one supporting surface and the forward edge of the next supporting surface, and means extending in a plane between the body and the supporting surfaces and connectedwith the latter for rocking all the supporting surfaces simultaneously.

4. In an aerial craft the combination with a rectangular frame of a series of upper and lower supporting surfaces arranged in pairs with one above the frame and the other below the frame and one pair in advance of the other between the two ends of the frame; a body sustained below the lower one of each pair of supporting surfaces; means for sustaining the pairs of surfaces so they may be rocked with respect to the frame and means above the body and beneath the several pairs of supporting surfaces for simultaneously rocking the latter with respect to the frame.

5. In an aerial craft the combination with a horizontal frame, of a plurality of supporting surfaces in different vertical planes between the two ends of said frame; means for pivotally mounting said supporting surfaces on said frame; a body pendently sustained from the frame below all of the supporting surfaces and connections between the body and the supporting surfaces for simultaneously rocking all of the latter with respect to the frame and the body.

6. In an aerial craft the combination with a horizontal frame comprising side and cross-bars, of a plurality of propeller shafts carried by said frame; a plurality of propellers on each shaft one in advance of another; a series of supporting surfaces extending crosswise and carried by the crossbars of said frame one in advance of another; a body pendently hung from the frame beneath the propellers and supporting surfaces and means extending horizontally under the supporting surfaces and above the pendent body for rocking all the surfaces.

7. In an aerial craft the combination with a horizontal frame, of a plurality of propeller shafts carried by said frame; a plurality of propellers on each shaft one in advance of another; a series of supporting surfaces pivotally carried by the frame one in advance of another; a body pendently suspended from the frame and located below said propellers; yielding means for limiting the swinging movement between the body and the supporting surfaces, and

means for simultaneously rocking all of the supporting surfaces.

8. In an aerial craft the combination with a rectangular horizontal frame having side bars and cross-bars, of a series of frames pivotally mounted on the cross-bars of said horizontal frame and extending crosswise between the side bars; a plurality of supporting surfaces on each pivoted frame one surface being above another; means for connecting all of the frames in the series; a body pendently hung from the horizontal frame and beneath all of the supporting surfaces and means extending up from the body to the said connecting means whereby to rock all the pivoted frames simultaneously.

9. In an aerial craft the combination with a frame having side-bars and cross-bars, of plane-supporting frames carried on the cross-bars so as to rock thereon said sup porting frames extending crosswise between the side-bars; an upper supporting plane attached to each f 'ame above the side and cross-bars; a lower supporting frame attached to each frame below the side and cross-bars; a rigid device extending beneath the lower planes; means pivotally connecting the plane-supporting frames with the rigid device; a body pendently sustained below the side and cross-bars and means extending up from the body and attached to the rigid device for moving the same and the planes.

10. In an aerial craft the combination with an upper frame, of a plurality of supporting surfaces in different vertical planes and each pivotally sustained by the upper frame; a body pendently sustained below the supporting surfaces; a guideway on the body; a slide in the guideway and connections between the slide and the supporting surfaces whereby to rock the latter.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

OLIVER A. KALBFUS. 

